Chapter 4.05
MARINE PASSENGER FEE FUND

Sections:

4.05.010    Establish fund.

4.05.020    Use of proceeds.

4.05.030    Procedures.

4.05.010 Establish fund.

A special revenue fund is established to accept the proceeds of the commercial passenger excise tax collected by the state of Alaska and passed through to the city and borough of Sitka. The proceeds shall be placed in the marine passenger fund. (Ord. 08-29 § 4 (part), 2008.)

 

4.05.020 Use of proceeds.

The proceeds of the marine passenger fund shall be appropriated to address the impacts caused by the marine passenger ship industry including:

A.    Design, construction, operation, or maintenance of capital improvements to relieve impacts of marine passenger ships and marine passengers;

B.    Operating funds for personnel, training, commodities, rentals, services and equipment for services provided, made available to, or required as a result of marine passenger ships and marine passengers;

C.    Projects and programs that promote safety, environmental improvements, or enforcement of laws caused or required by marine passenger ships and marine passengers;

D.    Acquisition of land required to execute the activities listed in this section;

E.    Beautification and enhancement of the facilities listed in this section;

F.    Surveys, analyses, polls, plans, monitoring, and similar efforts to measure, describe or predict, or manage the impacts of marine passenger ships and marine passengers, for items listed in this section.

(Ord. 08-29 § 4 (part), 2008.)

4.05.030 Procedures.

A.    Annual Formation of the Marine Passenger Fee Fund Committee (MPFFC). Annually, no later than May 15th, the members of the MPFFC shall be reestablished to participate in the review and solicitation of projects for the marine passenger fee fund implementation plan. The MPFFC shall be made up of members representing the cruise line industry, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau, tourism commission, port and harbors commission, historic preservation commission, and city and borough staff directly involved with capital projects and funding, including the administrator, finance director, and public works director.

B.    Preparation of Marine Passenger Fee Fund Implementation Plan (MPFFIP). The administrator shall annually prepare a draft MPFFIP identifying current active and planned projects for the next fiscal year, and submit it to the assembly for approval no later than the last assembly meeting in June. Annually, no later than July 15th, the administrator shall solicit new requests for marine passenger fee fund projects. The solicitation, including the current assembly-approved plan and a submission form for new projects, will be available on the municipal website and in the municipal clerk’s office. Annually, a PSA announcing this posting will be published in the newspaper of general circulation and sent to the local media no later than July 15th. The public solicitation period will close annually on August 15th.

C.    Annually, no later than September 15th, the current assembly-approved plan and the submitted project request forms shall be forwarded to the MPFFC to be reviewed. The MPFFC will review the project request forms, and no later than October 15th, submit a recommendation to the administrator regarding the merits of all requested projects and any recommended revisions to the current plan.

D.     The administrator will prepare recommendations regarding proposed projects. Annually, no later than November 1st, the administrator’s final recommendations will be posted on the municipal website and a PSA announcing this posting shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation and sent to the local media. The administrator shall forward all submittals, comments, and documents received timely related to the solicitation, including review comments by the MPFFC and the administrator’s final recommendations to the assembly. The assembly shall vote on the recommendations during its first regularly scheduled meeting in November.

E.    Funds shall be transferred or expended from the marine passenger fee fund only to the extent approved by the assembly.

(Ord. 11-29 § 4, 2011: Ord. 08-29 § 4 (part), 2008.)